Environmental Science

Topic 7: Water Quality & Water Pollution

Water  Ornamental Purposes
 Two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms combined  Fire Demand
by covalent bond  
  3. Industrial Purposes
Water Quality  Factories
 Describes the condition of the water, including  Power Stations
chemical, physical and biological characteristic,  Railway and Airports
usually with respect to its suitability for a  
particular purpose such as drinking or swimming. 4. Business or Trade Purposes
   Dairies
Importance of Water  Hotels
 One of the most important substance on earth  Laundries
 Approximately 70% of freshwater is consumed  Motor garages
by agriculture  Restaurants
 Can't live without water for 3 days  Stables
 Apart from drinking it to survive, people have  Schools
many other uses for water  Hospitals
 Our body comprises of 70-90% water. The cell  Cinema halls
needs water  Theatres
  The number of such business centers will depend
Sources of Water upon the population & for a moderate city on an
1. Surface Water average value of about 15 to 25 liters of water per
 97% saltwater (oceans and seas) head per day.
 2.4% glaciers and polar ice caps  
 .6% other land surface water such as rivers, 5. Loss and Waste
lakes, and ponds Water required under this category is sometimes
  termed as the unaccounted requirement. It includes
2. Groundwater careless use of water, leakage in mains, valves,
 Lies under the surface of the land, where it other fittings etc.
travels through and fills openings in the rock. The  
rocks that store and transmit groundwater are Environmental Water Quality Parameters
called aquifers. 1. Physical Properties
   Color, odor, temperature, solids (residues),
Water Quality in the Philippines turbidity, oil content, and grease content
1. DENR (Department of Environment and Natural  
Resources) through EMB (Environmental 2. Chemical Properties
Management Bureau)  Ph
2. DOH (Department of Health)  Conductivity
3. DWSS (Department of Works and Sewage  Dissolved oxygen (DO)
System)  Nitrate
   Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Classification of Water based on its Usage  Pesticides
1. Domestic Purposes  
o Drinking (2 liters/day) 3. Biological Properties (Microbiology)
o Cooking  Coliforms, fecal coliforms, specific pathogens,
o Bathing and viruses
o Washing hands and face
o Household Sanitary purposes
Water Pollution
o Private Gardening & Irrigation
 Is the contamination of water bodies, very often
o Domestic Animals & Private vehicles by human activities. It occurs when pollutants
  (particles, chemicals or substances that make
2. Civic or Public Purposes water contaminated) are discharged directly or
 Road Washing
 Sanitation Purposes
 Topic 7: Water Quality & Water Pollution
indirectly into water bodies without enough
treatment to get rid of harmful compounds.
 
Pollutants get into water mainly by human causes or
factors. Water pollution is the second most imperative
environmental concern along with air pollution. Any
change or modification in the physical, chemical and
biological properties of water that will have a
detrimental consequence on living things is water
pollution.
 
Sources of Water Pollution
1. Point Source
 A single source that can be easily identified
 Emissions of factories into the water
 Garbage thrown; dumping waste into water
 
2. Nonpoint Source
 Multiple sources
 Run off
 Contaminated water after rains that has travelled
through several regions
 
Types of Water Pollution
1. Nutrient Pollution
 The process where too many nutrients, mainly
nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of
water and can act like fertilizer, causing excessive
growth of algae.
 Algae is an indicator of nutrient pollution
 Water lilies
 Eutrophication – is when a body of water
becomes overly enriched with minerals and
nutrients which induce excessive growth of algae.
2. Surface Water Pollution
 The pollution of aquatic systems that are above
ground, such as streams, lakes and rivers. These
waters become polluted when rainwater runoff
carries pollutants into the water. The pollutants
transported by runoff are things like salts and
chemicals from city and highway roads and
nutrients and fertilizers from farms and lawns.
 
3. Oxygen Depletion
 Microorganisms that live in water feed on
biodegradable substances. When too much
biodegradable material is added to water, the
number of microorganisms increase and use up the
available oxygen. This is called oxygen depletion.
 Fish Kills
 
4. Ground Water Pollution
 Man-made products such as gasoline, oil, road
salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and
cause it to become unsafe and unfit for human use.
 Materials from the land's surface can move
through the soil and end up in the groundwater.
For example, pesticides and fertilizers can find
their way into groundwater supplies over time.
 Road salt, toxic substances from mining sites,
and used motor oil also may seep into
groundwater.
 In addition, it is possible for untreated waste
from septic tanks and toxic chemicals from
underground storage tanks and leaky landfills to
contaminate groundwater.
 
5. Microbiological Pollution
 A natural form of water pollution caused by
microorganisms. Different types of
microorganisms live in water and cause fish, land
animals and humans to become ill.
 Bacteria, Viruses and Protozoa; Serious diseases
such as cholera cause from microorganisms that
lives in water.
 These diseases usually affects health of people
in poorer countries as they do not have the
facilities to treat polluted water. 
 
6. Suspended Matter
 Some pollutants do not dissolve in water as their
molecules are too big to mix between the water
molecules.
 This material is called particulate matter and can
often be a cause of water pollution.
 The suspended particles eventually settle and
cause a thick silt at the bottom. This is harmful to
marine life that lives on the floor of rivers or lakes.
 Biodegradable substances are often suspended in
water and can cause problems by increasing the
amount of anaerobic microorganism's present.
 
7. Chemical Water Pollution
 Industrial and agricultural work involves the use
of many different chemicals that can run-off into
water and pollute it.
 Metals and solvents from industrial work can
pollute rivers and lakes. These are poisonous to
many forms of aquatic life and may slow their
development, make them infertile or even result in
death.
 Petroleum is another form of chemical pollutant
that usually contaminates water through oil spills
when a ship ruptures. Oil spills usually have only a
localized effect on wildlife but can spread for
miles.
 Topic 7: Water Quality & Water Pollution
 The oil can cause the death of many fish and
stick to the feathers of seabirds causing them to
lose the ability to fly.
 
8. Oil Spillage
 Contamination of seawater due to an oil pour, as
a result of an accident or human error, is termed
an oil spill.
 Oil is among the most important energy sources
in the world and because of its uneven distribution,
it is transported by ships across the oceans and by
pipelines across the lands.
 This has resulted in several accidents in the past
while transferring the oil to vessels, during
transportation, breaking of pipelines, as well as
while drilling in the earth’s crust.
 
Other Causes of Water Pollution
1. Sewage and wastewater
2. Mining Activities
3. Ocean and Marine Dumping
 
Effects of Water Pollution
1. Death of aquatic animals
2. Disruption of Food Chain
3. Diseases
4. Destruction of Ecosystem